Well,
folks, I think I’m on a roll here. Two excellent books in two weeks. I sat down
this bright Sunday morning at my favorite bagel place and stared reading Shotgun, by Scott Colby. I intended to
read until I was finished with lunch. Instead, after a somewhat iffy beginning,
I found myself sucked into an intriguing, well-written urban fantasy,
containing an equal mix of attitude and heart. Fans of urban fantasy really
can’t afford to miss this one.
 |
| And this is why you always consult an artist for cover, you know, ART. |
Shotgun tells the story of Roger Brooks,
a middle-aged janitor who winds up in possession of a magically-empowered
shotgun, and the mysterious Talora, a woman who wakes up one day with no
memories and a pair of horns sprouting from her head. We meet Roger as he’s in
the middle of trying to fend off a robber in his house, a mysterious woman who
tells him that if he wants to help her change the world, he better take a peek
in his silverware drawer. Among the forks and spoons, he finds a magical ball
of energy that transforms his old shotgun into an enchanted weapon capable of
firing . . . well, magic balls of energy. In no time at all, he’s whisked from
his home to the elven land
of Evitankari
Turns out,
Roger’s been chosen to protect that land from the forces of evil. He seems to adjust way too quickly to his new
reality, and the first few scenes explaining what the elves are and what they
can do all seem to be a bit of a narrative dump. But when the story moves beyond
the initial introduction and begins moving at a more even pace, Roger’s
fish-out-of-water story begins evoking real sympathy and moves along quite
nicely as we meet other characters—like Aldern, a spell-wielding elf attended
to by sentient poundcakes, and Walinda, a seven-inch-tall pixie who becomes
Rodger’s housekeeper.
Talora, the
other main character, has a bit darker story to tell. Lost without any memory
of her past, she’s forced to work with an unsavory woman known as the Witch, a
psycho who makes deals with demons and has a mysterious vendetta against the
elves. The more she learns about herself and her abilities, the more she wants
to get away from the Witch. Through Talora’s eyes, we see the darker side of
the world Colby has created. One moment, where Talora kills a man only to find
a photo of him embracing her, really sticks in my mind.
Beyond the
rapid beginning, there’s a really fun journey going on here. Strong supporting
characters give the narrative a real boost, and Roger’s desire to re-connect
with his family grows into the real center of the book. Things can get a little
confusing at times, and the indentations on the Kindle edition were much
smaller than normal (which was a little irritating), but when the story finds
its voice, you won’t be able to put it down.
High
Points: The supporting characters. They all had plenty of dimensions,
especially one elf, Pike. The mystery. There’s plenty of it, especially about
the identities and origins of various characters, and almost all of it is
solved—although there’s still plenty of room for a sequel. Character arcs.
Roger’s story and Talora’s story are very different, and yet both manage to
compliment the other. The ending. The plot builds to it very well, and the
twists and turns occurring here are surprising, yet totally supported by the
rest of the text.
Low Points:
Roger’s introduction to the elves. The way this totally normal person quickly
adjusts to this serious change in his world challenged my suspension of
disbelief; it could have been drawn out a little further without slowing down
the book. Some slow action. One scene where a giant destroys a building in
Evitankari really doesn’t have much emotional impact beyond ‘Roger shoots it’.
Did I like this book? Yes. Would I
read it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to people who like urban fantasy? Yes,
and for anyone who likes a simple, easy read on a Sunday afternoon. My rating?
As urban fantasy, I’ll give it four and a half stars out of five. As a novel?
Four.
--Liz Ellor, O43
You can download Shotgun here
Interesting review of shot Gun ,I am waiting for this book to read.
ReplyDelete